Dolphins hoping for a quick start from Earl Mitchell

Earl Mitchell has spent all offseason as the Dolphins' new starting defensive tackle paired with Randy Starks

June 18, 2014|Omar Kelly, Staff writer

DAVIE – — Earl Mitchell got off the ball so quickly it seemed as if he'd been shot out of a slingshot.

The Miami Dolphins' newest defensive tackle slipped the offensive guard's block with ease and found himself so deep in the backfield he could have probably taken the handoff from Ryan Tannehill himself.

Next thing Mitchell knew Mike Wallace gets the ball on an end around and sprints past him. Mitchell's 6-foot-3, 300-pound frame seamlessly changes directions to pursue the Dolphins' fastest receiver.

Mitchell never caught Wallace on that practice snap, which produced a small gain, but his quickness and knack for pursuing the ball showed exactly why the Dolphins made him one of the first free agents signed this offseason.

"(I) love the way he works. He shows up on pursuit on plays away from him. He's hustling to the ball," said Dolphins coach Joe Philbin. "He would probably be one of those guys that you might classify as a quiet leader. He's not necessarily the most vocal guy, but shows up every single day (and) really puts in an honest day's work. (I'm) really pleased with him and I like what he's done so far."

The Dolphins have been so pleased that Mitchell has spent all offseason as the starter paired with Randy Starks. However, he'll likely get some competition once Jared Odrick, who has started 25 games for the Dolphins since becoming the team's 2010 first-round select, is medically cleared to practice. Odrick has been sidelined by an undisclosed medical issue.

Mitchell signed a four-year, $16 million deal to replace Paul Soliai, who inked a lucrative deal with the Falcons this offseason. When Mitchell was shopping for a new team the 26-year-old purposely wanted to play in a 4-3 scheme similar to the one he was developed in at the University of Arizona.

He played in a 4-3 scheme during his first year with the Houston Texans, which selected him in the third round of the 2010 draft. But in 2011 Houston's defense moved to a hybrid 3-4 scheme, and Mitchell was called on to fill the critical nose tackle role, which means he was routinely taking on two offensive linemen.

While other 3-4 teams pursed him this offseason Mitchell said he specifically picked the Dolphins because of the 4-3 scheme, and Miami's history of development defensive linemen under Kacy Rodgers.

"I play with a lot of passion and my overall athletic ability helps me out, and it helps out my teammates," said Mitchell, who has contributed 134 tackles and 3.5 sacks in his four NFL seasons. "Being able to penetrate a little bit more is definitely going to be key for me. Being a smaller guy makes it easier to play with quickness and leverage against the bigger offensive linemen."

Playing on the inside of a defensive line is about leverage. The rule in the trenches is lowest man usually wins. Mitchell has a low center of gravity, and possesses a knack for shedding blockers. That trait helped him become one of the NFL's most productive nose tackles when it came to tackles recorded (48) last season.

The Dolphins hope it translates to the 2013 defense.

"We have high expectations for ourselves. We've been playing pretty on point. We fly around and are making plays," Mitchell said. "A lot of guys on this team that has been here pretty much set the precedence. The guys that have been here they standards since I've been here that's what they have been holding us accountable to."

One of those standards was to suffocate the run. Before last season the Dolphins were one of the NFL's stingiest defenses when it came to containing the run. But last season Miami's opponents tallied 1,998 rushing yards and scored 14 rushing touchdowns.

Both of those stats were among the league's worst against the run. As the only newcomer to the defensive line rotation it is Mitchell's responsibility to make sure he helps the unit tighten up. And he's optimistic he can meet that challenge.

"My job here is a little bit more fun," Mitchell said. "I'm a little freer and am able to penetrate a little bit more. That gives me the opportunity to make more plays."